Loose-leaf binder.



F. C. SKILES.

LLLLLLLLLLL NDEH.

Lll 9. Patented May 4, 1915.

2 SSSSSSSS HEET 2.

ATToQ/Eys FFIQE.

FRANK C. SKILES, 0F OAK PARK, ILLINOIS.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Speciication of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1915.

Application filed March 20, 1914. Serial No. 826,040.

To all elf/0m 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, F RANK C. SKILES, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Oak Park, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to locking devices for such binders.

rihe binders as heretofore made require the use of one hand to hold them in a half closed position, in order to be able to transfer the leaves from one side to the other.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved construction and arrangement whereby the binder may be easily moved from the full opened position to half locked position.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of improvement tending to increase the general eficiency and serviceability of a loose leaf binder.

The means for accomplishing the foregoing and other useful ends are hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a loose leaf binder in a completely open position and showing the locking device. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the binder locked in an intermediate position between the full opened position and the half locked position. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the device in a half locked position. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing ythe same in a completely locked position. Figs. 5 and 6 are views of detailed parts of the locking device. Fig. 5 furthermore is an enlarged view of the parts.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the frame of the binder is made up of two members 2 and 3. These members, of course, are secured by the hinge 4. These members may be of any suitable material, such as steel or brass and may be in the shape of angle irons. Along the ledge of these hinges are secured the plates 5 and 6, which are provided with the usual hooks 7 and 8. These hooks, as shown, are riveted or otherwise suitably secured to the plates 5 and 6. 'Ihe forward terminals 9 and l0 of these plates, as shown, are bent upward and on these projections are secured the curved members 11 and 12. Pivoted on the member 11 is the lever 13, which is in sliding engagement with the upper terminal of the member 12. This member 12 is provided with a pin 14,

part of the binder to the the head of which engages the slot 15 in the member 13 in such a way that wheneve'r the forward end lof this lever is raised the pin 14 slides in the slot 15 rtoward the inner terminal 17 of the slot, at the same time causing the plates 2 and 3 to turn on the hinge 4.

Fig. 6 shows in detail how the pin 14 and the members 12 and 13 are related. The head of the pin 14 is so embedded in the member 13 as to be flush with the inner surface of the member 13. By drawing together the members 11 and 12, the pin 14 at the end of member 12 glides along slot 15, 1

until the binder is in a half open position, as shown in Fig. 2, with the prongs 7 and 8 near together but not overlapping. By still further rotating the lever 13 the binder can be brought to the half locked position (indicated in Fig. 3) with the prongs 7 and 8 overlapping'. This locking in half closed position is due to the fact that since the pin 14 rotates about the hinge as a center the book cannot be opened without springing the arms 11 and 12 on account of the interposed link 13, which acts as a stop. The pin 14 travels in a circle which comes so near to the other pin upon which the arm 13 is hinged that there is not sufficient leverage to enable the mere weight of the book to spring the arms 11 and 12 apart so as to enable the pin to pass. In this position, of course, the leaves may be shifted from one other, so that when finally any particular page wanted is located, by restoring the binder to its fully opened condition (indicated in Fig. l), the leaf may be removed. This operation can, of course. be repeated as often as desired.

From the position shown in Fig. 3, the binder may be carried to the completely locked position shown in Fig. 4, in which position the latch 18 on hinge 3 engages the pin 19 on hinge 2. After the binder reaches the half locked position shown in Fig. 3, the act of further closing the members 2 and 3 has the effect of causing the pin 14 on the end of the lever 13 to slide to the outer eXtreme end of the slot 15, as indicated in Fig. 3. In this position the members 11, 12, and 13 are folded out of the way. The arm 13 is provided with a series of holes 13 crossing the slot 15 into any one of which the pin 20 may be inserted. It will be understood that the thickness of these pins can be varied with the thickness of the arm 13. rI`his pin may be used for restricting the degree to which the binder may be opened, due to the factthat the pin 14 atthe end of the arm 12 is adapted to engage the pin 20, as may be seen referring to' Figs. 3 and 5. Furthermoreafter the binder is carried to the position shown in Fig. 4, it may be locked by means of the pin 2O if it Vis inserted in the pathof the pin 14, so that the pin 14 cannot travel in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 4). This pin is shown in Fig. 5 enlarged so that its structure may be more easily seen and understood. The arm 15 is shown correspondingly enlarged.

It will be understood that although I have shown the prongs 7 and 8 and the locking members on plates-separate and distinct froml the hinges 3 and 2, they can be made so that the plate 5 and hinge 2 may be in one piece and the plate 6 and the hinge 3 in one piece. and 11, although indicated as separate and distinct from the supporting structure, they may be integral therewith.

Ill/That I lclaim as my invention is:

' 1. In a loose leaf binder, the combination of a hinge and a lock for said hinge, a latch in said lock for holding the hinge in half closed position, and a catch for holding the hinge in completely locked position.

2. In a loose leaf binder, a hinge comprising two wings, a lock for said hinge, said lock comprising two flexible arms, one oneach wing, adapted to rotate with the wings, a lever pivotally secured to one of said arms, and having the fulcrum on the other arm slidably connected to the lever, said lever serving to prevent the binder being closed without springing the arms apart, and also serving for manually springing C'opies ofV this patent may Also the curved parts 12v a hinge comprising each wing, a link pivotally fixed to one of said arms and slid- Y ably pivoted to the other, forming a lat closed.

4. In a loose leaf binder, a hinge comprising two wings for supporting the backs of the binder, an arm on each support, a link pivotally fixed to one of said arms and slidably pivoted to the other, said link and arms forming a latch for locking said book half closed, a slot in said link forming a track for the slidable'pivot, and an adjustable pin on said link for controlling the length of the strokeV of saidslidable pivot and for locking said binder in aV completely closed position.

5. In a loose leaf binder, two wings for supporting the backs of the binder, a hinge for said wings, a lock for said wings, said lock comprising two flexible arms, one on each wing, said arms adapted to rotate about the hinge, a sliding link connecting the two arms adapted topermit the ends of the two arms to approach each other, said link operating as a stop and serving as a latch for the lock and adapted to prevent the ends from passing freely by without springing the arms, the terminal of the link serving as a handle for springing the arms apart.

Signed by meV at Chicago, Cook county,

Illinois,this 12th day of March, 1914.

FRANK o. sKILEs.

' Witnesses:

HERBERT IIT. KRACKE, VB. GARBER.

be obtained for five cents each, ,by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. n

said link and varms hfor locking said book half 

